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Defendant Confesses At Trial Over Andijon Revolt


Prosecutors in the Andijon case 21 September 2005 -- The first of 15 defendants on trial over the May violence in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon today confessed to charges of launching the revolt.

Muidin Sobirov said he prepared a military plan for the 13 May uprising and that the conspirators had received funding from abroad. He named no countries and gave no details.

He described planning with his comrades to create an Islamic state in Uzbekistan, and how militants were trained in camps in neighboring Kyrgyzstan.

On the opening day of their trial yesterday, Sobirov and 14 others pleaded guilty to participating in the uprising.

The men face multiple charges including terrorism, hostage-taking, murder, and organizing illegal religious extremist groups.

The Uzbek government says 187 people were killed in the May violence. But rights groups dispute that, saying several hundred mostly innocent civilians were killed by security forces.

(AP)

See also:

Factbox: Andijon Timeline

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